Welcome to this 47th issue of our newsletter “Weak Signals and other Trends”. Each week, I sift through hundreds of sources of inspiration to track where we’re heading. If you are a new subscriber to this newsletter, take the time to send me a note and introduce yourself, I love to understand who is reading.
Join us on Clubhouse to discuss how to interpret some of those trends and weak signals most Saturdays at 9 am EST (we’re on tomorrow).
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This is what I noticed this week, thank you for sharing this newsletter to those who look into the future.
Strategic blindspots
Looking at the familiar with “alien eyes” allows you to unlock new business model opportunities while avoiding risks stemming from strategic blindspots.
The Global Handicrafts Market (647bn$). Free land. The baby-sitter shortage. Cryptocurrency is increasingly being used to hide assets in divorce cases. Crypto will change the way people pay for weddings. Imitate, then innovate. The trees grown from space-faring seeds. Water, water, everywhere in vehicle manufacturing. The Agency which did not exist. Virgin Hyperloop switches focus from passengers to cargo as it lays off half its staff. Synthetic Biology Is About to Disrupt Your Industry. Food suppliers wade into logistics as trucking rates soar.
We have scheduled the dates for 2022 for our “Strategic Blindspots”course . Our next cohort which will take place in Montreal, Canada, on April 26-27, 2022. Registrations are open.
Our future
Changing the shape of floors could cut concrete usage by 75 percent. I am Botto, a decentralized autonomous artist. The State of Food & Beverage. Nootropics for your brain. NFT Business Ideas from the Trends Community. Samsung's artificial Neon humans are "a new kind of life". Givaudan launches tech to mimic animal fat in plant-based foods. A whole new world of education, according to the Brooklings Institute. Geriatrics millenials.
We keep you updated on those trends and more on Twitter.
Weak signals
Weak signals are indicators of a change, a trend or an emerging risk that might become significant for the future. They allow us to run hypothesis, expand our thinking, and challenge assumptions. How will you interpret those in your industry or field of expertise?
13 Signs That Someone Is About to Quit. TikTok's Missed Connections. Therapy for crypto addicts. Retail technology for the evolving consumer landscape. Grand-fluencers. Why chewing-gums’ sales are plummeting. There are no retirement homes in the Netherlands. First property up for sale in both real world and metaverse. The Digital Country Club. Uber adds new ways to buy concert tickets and book restaurants in its app. Digital scents. Two horizons: Ford says it’s splitting into 2 divisions: electric and gas.
Join us to discuss those trends and signals every Saturday at 9am EST on Clubhouse. We have a panel of futurists that illustrate what those signals might mean, and a fantastic group of curious minds in the room.
Down the rabbit hole
This section highlights a subject that lead me to many useful threads, or a single site, that opened many doors.
This week, I went down the rabbit hole into Essays That Became Books.
Hodgepodge discovery
Articles for curious minds and the polymaths …
A workplace has its own informal cardinal directions: elevatorward, kitchenward, bathroomward. The unresolved probability paradox that goes to the heart of scientific objectivity. The history of luge. Class 1 / Class 2 Problems. Mechanical movements. 20th Century Design Movements to Remember. Time zones history.
I have published this week a yearly review of the top 70 newsletters curious minds are reading in 2022.
Feeling Good
The digital curator. The museum of precious things. What Cartoon Characters Would Look Like in Real Life. Judging a book by its cover. Finalists from Sony's World Photography Awards. All about butter. I Want To Learn.
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Contact me at Competia with your feedback or ideas. Thank you for reading.